In the debate over how to keep Social Security afloat, two proposals dominate: Either raise taxes or cut benefits. Neither is an attractive option, but one there is little-mentioned solution that could fix Social Security almost painlessly: Make more cute little Americans.

The economy is rumbling along, out of control. Straight ahead, the road abruptly ends, yet the horses show no signs of slowing. Next stop: the fiscal cliff! Here's how the looming crisis will affect the average American family.

The Senate is bracing for a tax-cut showdown that is all about Democrats and Republicans showing voters their differences over taxing the well-off while accusing each other of threatening to shove the government over a fiscal cliff.

At tax time, being a parent comes with certain perks: the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Credit, a bigger Earned Income Tax Credit, among others. But while single parents have many of the same breaks as married parents, there are some they miss out on.

Lawmakers have gotten in the habit of waiting until the last minute to extend many tax breaks, but last year, they ran out of time. Now, unless Congress acts soon, millions of Americans are face changes that could leave them sending thousands of dollars a year more to the IRS.

Thanks to confusing and often misunderstood rules surrounding child-care tax breaks, the author has overpaid Uncle Sam to the tune of $1,000, missing out on $200 in tax savings each year for the past half-decade. Read on to avoid her mistake -- unless you enjoy filing mounds of amended returns.

In the complicated, confusing, and confounding world of taxes, we citizens have a little-known ally within the IRS: the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, Nina Olson. Olson welcomes your thoughts via a suggestion box on tax reform. So far, she's received roughly 1,500 submissions, and she's still asking for more.